Plastic Man
was the first Super Hero who had his own distinct personality; he was the
first to have been a former criminal, and he was the first one to know
how loony and fun his world was. And now, his first adventures are back
in this wonderful Archive edition, collecting his origin and appearances
in issues #'s 1-20 of POLICE COMICS. New to the volume are a cover by Alex
Toth, a foreword by legendary writer/artist Will Eisner (The Spirit, Comics
and Sequential Art) and an introduction by comics historian Peter L. Myer.

Jack Cole, Plastic
Man's creator, broke ground that is only now being broken again by today's
comic book artists. Cole excelled as a writer, inker, letterer and penciler,
very unusual then and now. Plastic Man was obviously a labor of love for
him, as evidenced by the wild plots, characters and the sublime ability
to put all that into pictures. The most important thing about Plastic Man
and his pal Woozy Winks was that they actually enjoyed their surrealistic
adventures. Plastic Man AKA Eel O' Brian, had a great time tying himself
into knots, boucing like a super ball, and using his arms as lariats. It's
like Cole actually contemplated what an imaginative mind could do with
such a gift. Cole made it fun for the reader by introducing some of the
most original villains the comics' world has to offer. Again, Cole's artwork
is only matched by his stories. Both are edgy and out of this world.

DC Comics continues
its award-winning Archives series featuring everyone's favorite pliable
hero, with this hardcover reprinting POLICE COMICS #31-39 and PLASTIC MAN
COMICS #2 (spanning 1944-45) and featuring an introduction by Michelle
Urry, cartoon editor for Playboy Magazine — who gives an overview of Cole's
career with a special focus on his gag cartoon work after leaving comics.

Written by Chuck Dixon & Scott BeattyArt by Javier Pulido & Robert Campanella

Paperback: 198 pages
DC ComicsISBN: 1563898055

$14.95

The Origin
of the First (and Best) Boy Wonder

After young Dick Grayson's
parents were murdered, millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne took the youth in
as his ward and changed his life forever. For Bruce Wayne was secretly
the Batman-- having become that Dark Knight after his own parents were
murdered. Using his days in the circus as a trapeze artist as a basis
for his education, Batman spent months training Dick in the ways of combat
and crime fighting.

This book presents
Dick's baptism by fire as he dons the costume of Robin, the Boy Wonder
for the first time and patrols the night by Batman's side. In his earliest
adventures, Robin learns very quickly that what he thought would be fun
is actually a matter of life and death.

After a falling-out
with the Dark Knight results in Tim Drake's being barred from the Batcave,
Batman's sidekick goes it alone in ROBIN: FLYING SOLO, a new trade paperback
reprinting ROBIN (current series) #1-6 and SHOWCASE '94 #5-6. These pivotal
issues reveal a new, more independent side of Tim Drake as he learns to
balance the demands of his personal life with those of his other identity
as a costumed adventurer.